Experimental investigation of Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluid flows in porous media

Experimental studies of Newtonian (distilled water) and non-Newtonian (polyacrylamide solution with concentration 10 ppm) fluid flows in porous media (Berea Sandstone core) are conducted on the experimental setup design and built for future water, gas and chemical core flood experiments. A linear flow rate-pressure curve is obtained for distilled water (Newtonian fluid). The calculated permeability for distilled water is in the range of the permeabilities suggested by the manufacturer (similar to 300 md). The permeability for the distilled water is almost constant with pressure variation as predicted by earlier models. The flow curve obtained for the polyacrylamide solution (non-Newtonian fluid) is non-linear, as expected. The empirical constants were obtained for the flow curve and permeability. (c) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.